I'm Katalin! I love crafting and really enjoy being creative. I have a passion to pass this knowledge to others, so they can feel what it is like to create, make something new for themselves, or make new things out of old materials. I have been making dolls and puppets (as well as other fun things) for kids and adults for many years. I understand the healing power of creation. It is very heartwarming to see the smiles on the faces of people when they create something with their hands.
I graduated secondary school as a technician. I obtained a higher education, as a technician in andragogy and library sciences. I mastered courses in toy and puppet making with textiles. I have enrolled in eight competitions where my work received the top award, out of a total of 300 contestants. In doing so, I have earned a certificate called “Aranykoszorus - Golden Laurel” which reflects my knowledge and creativity.
I have been doing crafts since my childhood. My father was an upholsterer, and when I was young I would build furniture for my dolls with his help. I recycled tiny leftover bit- such as power supplies piping, screw-nuts etc. and made toys for myself. I was a lonely child, and crafting my own toys kept me busy. I also loved to read under the blankets, and sometimes even hid Jack London's books in my workbooks.
Due to my family background, there were few traditions in my childhood. However, when I began high school, I started to craft, and made handmade gifts for Christmas and other traditional festivals like Easter and Secret Santa. When I was 25 years old, I met my husband, who came from a totally different background. Traditional festivals and celebrations were always important for him. Later when I became a mother of two lovely girls, I started to make more and more handmade gifts. I prepared costumes, masks, dresses for proms, and marionettes. It is important that I use as many natural materials as possible, following in Hungarian tradition.
I am so excited to be a GLOMADO Instructor, because I want to show my students that making new things can bring them joy, on a daily basis. I love to help my students be creative, so they can have the chance to use their imaginations, and spread their wings in the field of arts and crafts.
Hungary is located in the middle of Europe. It is part of our culture to relay our traditions to the next generations. Hungarian agriculture is very diverse. We grow several types of crops, such as corn. We always strive ourselves to re-use raw materials. For example, our ancestors made dolls and ornaments from corn husks, drums from nutshells, and flutes from reeds, which are tools used to play Hungarian folk music. In my art, I have been working with paper and paper recycling for many years. I especially love working with two specific natural materials in Hungary: the leftovers of corn (corn-husk, corn-cub), and chestnut.